152. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. For him, to see forgiveness is to see the face of God.

4 May 2021
“For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.” Genesis 33:10

Genesis 33
3 He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.



It started with Abraham and Sarah, followed by Isaac and Rebekah.

Then the feud between twin brothers Esau and Jacob.

The bad blood between Jacob and Laban, his uncle same time father-in-law.

Jacob has set his sight returning home, yet wrestling in his mind with the fear of Esau's revenge.

The night before, Jacob was in wrestling with the angel of the Lord. Jacob could not be overpowered, the angel of the Lord touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched. 

So Jacob was limping the following day, with physical disability when he was expecting to deal with the anger of Esau.

Esau must have long forgiven Jacob, the Lord has blessed him plenty (Genesis 33:9).

Then how can a brother strike a brother who was limping. Esau must have had compassion immediately after seeing his brother in physical pain.

The Lord must have planned it to soften the heart of Esau.

But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. Genesis 33:4

Before coming to this point, Jacob must have really come to his senses and repented after all those years, same time realizing his physical disability that very moment, that he really humbled himself before his older brother.

He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. Genesis 33:3

This lesson is plain and simple for everyone of us.


“For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.” Genesis 33:10

It runs in the family. Forgiveness runs in the family.
 
Joseph, Jacob's favorite son (Genesis 37:3), saw forgiveness from his Uncle Esau for his father Jacob. 

Joseph being the favorite son must have one time asked his father (while still in Laban's place) about his Uncle Esau, and Jacob must have confided with Joseph his misgivings for deceiving Esau twice.


When we see forgiveness from people close to us, we see the face of God, and that memory teaches us to make it alive in our own lives as well.


From dictionary website/browse/to-err-is-human--to-forgive-divine


All people commit sins and make mistakes. God forgives them, and people are acting in a godlike (divine) way when they forgive. This saying is from “An Essay on Criticism,” by Alexander Pope."



After hellos, I apologized for my actuations in the past, I said I hope he can forgive me for my trespasses. I mentioned, the Lord has been so good to me all these years, wala na akong mahihiling pa. I also said, I am praying for good health for all of us.

He replied back, no hard feelings after all the years, you know me, let bygones be bygones. I responded, maraming salamat.

What a relief!


"Lord, Jacob's favorite son, Joseph was there when his father bowed down before his father's brother Esau. Years later, Joseph's brothers bowed down before him - "His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said. But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:18-20). Lord, to ask forgiveness and to forgive, give me the grace, that my children will see it in me; this I pray in Jesus' name. Amen."

Wala ka sa Lolo ko; for him, to see forgiveness is to see the face of God, this my children's children will say someday.

May you be blessed with God's Word. Amen.

Maraming salamat.




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